A child's Love
by SMCKI10
Summary: Post 413. They were torn apart by thier love for a child. But will a new child's love bring them back together? I know werid summary but give it a chance!Jommy!


A/N: Here is another story! Thanks to lorianne my beta. And lauravandervoortforeverfor the sex scene.

So I got the idea for this back in Aug and now here it is. Took me forever! Hope ya'll like it.

Disclaimer:I do not own the show.

"Jude! Will you come take your sister to the youth center for her practice?" Stuart Harrison yelled over the noise of, 24-year old, Jude Harrison's iPod. Jude rolled her eyes, before heading down the stairs.

"C'mon Jazz," Jude yelled to her sister before going out the front door.

As they were driving to the youth center, Jasmine rattled on about her band while Jude let her thoughts drift back to the events that had brought Jazz into their family. Jasmine was the result of the affair that her father had had with Yvette, eight years before. Of course no one in the family even knew about her 'til three years ago when Yvette was killed in a car accident. Jazz had brought their family back together during a time of crisis. It had been a rough time for all of them, but slowly everyone had adjusted to the changes, and Jude couldn't image her life without her.

"Jude, do you want to go inside with me?" Jazz asked as they pulled up to the center.

"I don't know Jazz."

"Please Jude; pretty please." Jude looked up at Jazz, and saw the infamous puppy dog face that gets her everything, so she gave into Jazz's begging.

A few minutes later, they walked into a large room that was filled with instruments. Jude glanced around the room nervously, but then a guitar caught her eye. She stepped closer to it, and realized that she knew the guitar; she had played it numerous times. She gently touched the neck of it reliving the memories it held.

"Jude! Don't do that! That's Mr. Q's guitar!" Jude froze the minute Jazz said that. She quickly made for the exit, but was stopped when she ran into someone. When she looked up, her blue eyes locked with the icy blue ones that she had been running from for years.

"Jude."

"Tommy."

"What are you doing here?"

"My little sister is in the band. Uhm, yeah, I'll see ya later," she said, trying to leave, but he grabbed her arm before she could.

"Stay please. You can see what they've been working on." Jude reluctantly nodded her head, and sit down on one of the stools in the front of the room.

"Okay guys, let's go over the music." Jude sat in the stool, waiting for the band to get their sheets of music, but they never did. Soon, the room was filled with the opening notes to one of her songs. She watched as the band performed her song better than she and SME ever played before. By the time they hit their fourth song, Jude turned her attention to Tommy. Throughout all of the songs, he would walk around the room with his guitar in hand; helping them keep up the melody and tempo of the song. The years hadn't changed him much; he was still Tommy; hair gel, fancy cars, and all, but there was something different about him. He didn't seem as haunted as he had been the last time they'd seen each other; three years ago. The band played a few more songs before Tommy turned to her. She could tell by the look he was giving her that he was about to ask her to break the three year retirement she's been on, and she was pretty sure by the look he was giving her, no was not an option.

"Will you sing with them?" she looked over at the band, and saw the hope in Jazz's eyes. Her sister had begged her plenty of times over the years they've known each other if she would sing and play with her, but every time Jude would say no. But Jude knew she couldn't say no this time, so as she stood up, she kept telling herself she was doing it for Jazz, and not for Tommy. She walked over to where Jazz was, and grabbed the extra mic.

"What song?" Jude asked as Jazz gave her a quick hug; Tommy smiled at her before he turned the amps to her mic on. A few seconds later, she heard the first notes of My Sweet Time; as she sang the words to her first number one, she let the song take her back to the time when she was a care-free sixteen year old girl, who was having the time of her life. For those three minutes, she forgot the hell that had been her life for the past three years. As the song continued, she was amazed at how the kids were playing her song so perfectly, especially Jazz with the guitar solos because she had only been playing the guitar for a couple of months. When they finished singing the song, the parents started to arrive, so she quietly started to put the gear away; while she was doing this, she watched Tommy greet each parent by name. She realized Tommy had finally grown up; the man that had broke her heart so many times before was gone, and in his place was an adult, but the question that was haunting her mind was if this Tommy would love this Jude, the Jude that had turned her back on him and her music. Soon, the only people left in the room were Tommy, Jude, and Jazz. Jazz was sitting on one of the amps in the corner of the room playing on her guitar that had formerly belonged to Jude.

"Can we talk?" Tommy asked, walking over to her.

"Uhm, not here. Plus I need to get Jazz home."

"Okay. Later then? Tonight? My place at eight?"

"Okay." She quickly took Jazz out of the room and into the car because she knew if she stayed in the same room with Tommy any longer, she would probably end up kissing him or hitting him, and she wasn't sure which one she wanted to do more. A couple hours later, Jude nervously got dressed to meet Tommy. She was really nervous about seeing him tonight; sure things had been fine earlier that day, but that was because they were in a room full of children. They had only hung out a few times since she had come home, and each time they had ended up sleeping with each other, and after the third time, they decided to give each other another try. For a while, they were happy and everything was perfect, but everything went to hell when the stick turned blue.

Jude was broken out of her thoughts when she heard the alarm she had set on her phone go off. She quickly grabbed her bag from the kitchen counter and headed off to Tommy's. When she reached his house, she knocked on the door, but she he didn't answer, she used the key she had never returned to him to open the door. She was about to yell for him when she heard music coming from upstairs. She got to the top of the stairs, and she saw him sitting on the floor in one of the rooms with his guitar in his lap. She leaned against the doorframe listening to him sing.

_It's cold in here feels like everything's upside down  
I can feel you talking but I can barley make out the sound  
I been kicking around these parts, feels like a year  
I'm gonna change this world if I ever get out of here  
She wants to dress me in pink, paint's my bedroom blue  
And I just laugh to myself, cause only I know the truth  
This love is my only emotion  
Haven't learned any fear any pain  
It's kind of funny with all this commotion  
I guess they've got me, to blame  
They don't even know my name  
They don't even know my name_

Well I've never felt so ready, think it's finally time  
Cause that big old world is waiting, and it's mine all mine  
Just then everything got real quiet, it got real bright  
And a man took my hand said don't worry, Mommas gonna be alright  
Then he opened the gate, & I followed him in  
Said you can wait right, here till it's your turn again  
And his love is the one true emotion  
Heaven knows no fear no pain  
I never got to set my wheels in motion  
They loved me just the same  
And they didn't even know my name  
Didn't even know my name  
You loved me just the same  
And you didn't even know my name

As he sung, Jude looked at the room he was in. The blue walls had faded over the years, and the unopened boxes were still sitting against the walls. As he finished singing, she wiped a tear off her cheek. "That was really beautiful," she said as she walked into the room, and sat beside him on the floor. "He would've been three next week," he said as he wiped his own tear away, and wrapped Jude in a hug as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I miss him so much. Some days it feels like it was yesterday, and other days it feels like it was someone else's life; someone else's nightmare. It hurts so much especially now that Sadie is pregnant. I watch her running around planning the baby's room, and doing all those things, and I remember when it was us doing that. I just wish things had happened differently." "I'm sorry I ran. I thought I was past everything, but when we lost him…" "It felt like you're whole world had caved in on you." They sat in silence, while they were taking in everything. A few minutes later, she spoke again. "I don't blame you running; you weren't the only one who destroyed our relationship. When we lost him, I ran away too, until today; I hadn't sung since that day. At least you went back to your music; I gave up both of my loves. Every time I would try to sing, I would go back to those final moments with him when we sung him the lullaby we wrote for him. I couldn't deal going through all of that again. I mean, that morning he was inside of me, then the next morning he was dead. It took me a long time to even accept his death, but then Jazz came along, and she was like the missing piece. Even though Preston was taken from us, I got Jazz for a little sister. I know she can never replace Preston in my heart, but she did help me move on with my life. She put my family back together, and I know that his death was no one's fault. My only regret, now, was that I lost you." "I'm right here, Jude; I'm still here. You didn't lose me," he said as he leaned down, and for the first time in three years, he kissed her. Jude lost herself in the kiss and in the feelings it brought back. They soon found themselves lying on the floor, on top of each other. When Jude felt Tommy try to take off her shirt, she stopped him. "Okay, babe; we need to slow down," she said as she sat up. "You don't want this?" Tommy asked with a confused and hurt look on his eyes. "I do, but it's been three years since we last talked, and there are still a lot of things we need to talk about before we go there again." "You're right. So, go on a date with me," he said as he gently kissed her neck. "When?" "Right now?" "Works for me." A few minutes later, they pulled up to the café they would always go to before. They were almost through with dinner, when Jude decided to ask him a question that had been bugging her. "So how did you get into leading Jazz's band? What happened to your producing gigs?" "Well, I still work for NBR and G-Major, but I just needed a change." "And that change was directing a kid's rock band?" "Yeah I guess it was, but sadly that's going to end soon." "What? Why?" "The center lost its funding, so it's going to close its doors a week from today. The kids don't know yet, so I'm going to tell them tomorrow." "Have you tried charity events? Benefits?" "We tried that a few times, but we've ran out of options because NBR has already contributed as much as they can without going under, and Darius just won't do it, and I've done all that I can do." "I have an idea; what about a charity concert?" "We tried that, but even with my return we didn't come remotely close to having enough to keep the center open." "But this time, you'll have my return, and what if my back-up band was actually the kids that the benefit is for?" "You know what Jude? That might just work." "Do think the kids will be ready by Friday?" "Yeah, it's summer, so I can call extra practices. What about location?" "What about the farmhouse? It's not that far away, and the yard can hold a lot of people." "That sounds good. Now we just have to round up tents, food, acts, and everything else." "Well I guess it's a good thing we have super Sadie, isn't it, and since she's pregnant, Jamie won't let her do anything other than managing NBR, so I'm sure she would be willing to help us. I'll talk to her tomorrow about it." A little while later they were back at Tommy's house.

"I guess I should head home," Jude said as she turned to go out the door, but Tommy stopped her.

"Stay," he said stepping closer to her.

"Tommy I…"

"Please Jude, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, but I don't think we should sleep with each other again."

"I just want to hold you; that's all, Jude, and I can tell you want the same thing."

Her answer to his suggestion was a light kiss on the lips. The next morning, Jude slid out of bed carefully, so she wouldn't wake Tommy. She walked into Preston's old room, and for the first time since his death, she picked up a guitar and played.

_I sit and wait does an angel contemplate and do they know the places  
Where we go when we're grey and old  
'cos I've been told that salvation lets their wings unfold  
So when I'm lying in my bed thoughts running through my head  
And i feel that love is dead I'm loving angels instead_

[Chorus:]  
And through it all she offers me protection a lot of love and affection  
Whether I'm right or wrong and down the waterfall  
Wherever it may take me I know that life won't break me  
When I come she won't forsake me I'm loving angels instead

When I'm feeling weak and my pain walks down a on way street I look above  
And I know I'll always be blessed with love and as the feeling grows  
She breathes flesh to my bones and when love is dead  
I'm loving angels instead

As she lost herself in her first love, she didn't hear her true love come into the room.

"That was amazing, Jude."

"Uhm…thanks," she said as he sit down beside her.

"How did that feel?"

"Pretty great," she said as he leaned down and kissed her.

A few hours later, Jude and Jazz walked into the rehearsal space, both with their guitar cases in their hands.

"Hey babe. Jazz."

"Hi, Tommy," Jazz said as she walked across the room to set up her guitar. Jude sat her case down by Tommy before giving him a kiss. She then turned to her case to get her guitar. When she opened it, Tommy saw the picture of him holding Preston taped onto the inside of her case. When he looked up, he saw Jude looking at his open guitar case where he too had a picture of Preston and Jude taped to the inside of the lid.

"The both of you are my inspiration," he said.

"Me too."

A few minutes later, all the kids were in the room with their parents.

"I asked everyone here today because we're going to try and save the center. We are going to put on a charity concert with the kids performing."

He explained everything else, and then he began the practice. The next few days flew by. They got the kids to play all of Jude's songs perfectly, and they had lined everything else up. Jude and Tommy had also gotten their relationship back on track .They had spent every night together, but they never crossed the line they both were afraid to cross, but if Jude had her way, that would change tonight. The benefit was tomorrow, and she knew Tommy needed to relax. They had finished eating, so she went up to the room they shared, and put on her surprise underneath Tommy's leather jacket, and lay down on the bed. She hit play on the stereo, and waited for Tommy to come up the stairs, which he did.

"What?" he asked as he walked into the room, and saw her on his…their bed.

"I don't want to wait anymore. I'm done grieving; I'm done waiting for the right time." Tommy sat on the bed beside her, laying his hands on the worn leather of the jacket.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I want you Little Tommy Q," she said with a giggle as he pushed her onto the bed. Tommy's hands reached up to the buttons of her shirt as he kissed her lips, each kiss just as torturous as the undoing of each button. Slow, deliberately slow, the buttons revealed the obscured parts of her upper body. He pulled her shirt off by lacing her arms out of her sleeves, his lips not kissing hers anymore, no, they had traveled to her neck. "Oh Tommy! You're such a tease!" She giggled as she pulled his shirt over his head. _Damn you for not wearing buttons, thinking of torturing me like that huh?_ Jude thought as she let her fingers roam over his chest, muscles and abs.

She snaked a hand down the front of his pants, slipped into his pants and to touched the fabric of his briefs. It had been so long she had forgotten what it felt like to touch him

Tommy groaned when he felt her fingers touch his briefs that sported a huge tent there. "Jude..." he moaned into his ear as he licked her earlobe. In a sudden rage of passion, he undid her bra and unzipped her pants. _Two can play that game..._ Tommy thought with a grin as he slid his finger underneath her panties to rub her pussy. "AHH TOMMY!" Jude exclaimed, god she was getting more wetter at the touch of him. Just to think he would thrust his cock into that wetting orifice soon! She craved it, actually wanted him to do it now, satisfy her with that lust that she felt, that he would take care of that pulsing deep that she felt between her thighs.

She gasped when she opened her eyes again. He was naked and sporting his erection in full nudity! Stroking it, no doubt getting him ready for when he would plunge his cock deep inside her. She too felt totally nude herself; she hadn't even felt him take her panties off!

He was about to thrust into her when.... "T...Tommy? D... Do you h....have a condom?" Tommy grinned and reached for his pants. "I always come prepared, Jude." He said kissing her lips.

He pulled the condom over his hard cock and wanted to slide it inside her channel, but changed his mind. Instead, he licked her pussy with his tongue. Immediately Jude's legs clamped around his head. "Tommy, please lick me!" Jude cried out, begging.

Tommy's tongue licked, worked her clit as he kissed her pussy, driving his tongue inside her. "God, please Tommy, change it for your cock! Fuck me please!" Jude cried out. She couldn't take it any longer. It felt so good but she wanted more.  
So Much more!

"Your wish is my command, my love." Tommy said and gently thrusted his large organ, protected by the condom into her awaiting channel.

"God, yes! Oh Tommy" Jude exclaimed from the loving sensations as he filled her with his condomed up cock.

Tommy claimed a nipple in his mouth as he suckled on the tender areola's, because he switched between both breasts to suckle on those delicious tender nipples, while he thrusted harder inside her. She wrapped her arms around the back of his head, wanting him to suck her nipples more.

"I love you so much, Tommy! You make me feel so good! Cum with me, please!" Jude moaned out as she bucked with him, meeting her hips to copy his movements. Tommy groaned.

"Jude"

Both had forgotten he was wearing a condom, but they savored their first time in years as Jude felt her juices flow from her pussy.

"Mmm, I love you, Tommy Q!" Jude said as he had pulled out of her and thrown his condom into the waistbasket.

"I love you too and I'm never letting you run away again."  
"I don't plan on running" Jude said and kissed his lips.

For the rest of the night, all of their fears, insecurities, and their past, faded away as they just basked in a love that never did.

The next afternoon, Jude was on stage doing the sound checks. She looked over at Tommy who was playing tag with the kids. She smiled at how good he was with kids, and at moments like this, she'd miss Preston even more; she'd miss what they had been; what they had almost been; what they could possibly have again. She was taken out of her thoughts when she saw Tommy let the kids "tackle" him. After watching Tommy and the kids for a while, she set her guitar down.

"Okay everybody go change; then get on stage," Jude yelled as the kids ran to get changed, and Tommy made his way onto the stage and wrapped his arms around her.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?" she asked as she laid her head on his chest.

"Last night, yes; today, no."

"Well, I love you," she said as she kissed him, before she left to help everybody get ready.

An hour later, most of the kids were on stage, either sitting or standing waiting for their parents or other people to arrive. Pretty soon, the farmhouse's yard was filled with people under the brightly colored tents. Jude was sitting on the edge of the stage quietly playing the melody of 2 AM, a song she had found herself playing a lot since her reunion with Tommy. She glanced up, and noticed that Jazz on the other side of the stage with a tear running down her check. Jude sat her guitar down and went to where her sister was.

"Hey Jazzy, What's wrong?" Jude asked as she sat down beside her.

"Dad's not here. He promised he would be here," she said.

"He'll be here, just give him the benefit of doubt, and if he doesn't show, then it's his loss, but Tommy and I are here to cheer you on, okay?"

"Okay," she said as they both got up, and walked backstage.

Seven hours later, they had rocked hard, and mingled with enough people to keep the center and the rock band program open.

"I think it went great," Tommy said as he and Jude walked towards the farmhouse to find Jazz who had disappeared after the concert because dad didn't show up.

"Jazz, are you in here?"

"Upstairs," she yelled.

"I'll get her," Jude said going up the stairs. She was halfway up the stairs when her phone started ringing. She pulled it out, and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Jude?!"

"Sadie, what's wrong? Is it the baby?"

"No Jude, it's Dad."

"Where is he?"

"He's gone, Jude."

"Where did he go?"

"He died Jude; a car accident earlier today."

"Oh God," Jude said as she leaned against the staircase, and dropped her phone which fell down the stairs. Tommy picked the phone up, and quietly talked to Sadie for a few minutes before he hung the phone up. Jude was silently sitting on one of the steps crying. Tommy made his way to her, and wrapped her in a hug.

"How do I do this? I mean I'm fine without him, but what about Jazz? What's going to happen to her? I mean she's an orphan now. My God, how do I tell her? How do I tell her our father's dead?" Jude asked burying her head in his chest.

"Daddy's dead?" Jazz asked from the top of the staircase with new tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah sweetheart, he is," Tommy said as he held his arm out, and caught Jazz in a hug. For the next hour, Tommy just sat on the stair case with the two Harrisons in his arms, crying over their loss.

The next morning, Tommy woke up to the ring of his cell. He quickly answered the phone, so he wouldn't wake the two sleeping girls that were in the bed with him; Jude and Jazz had fallen asleep after crying all night. He carried the girls to the room in the farmhouse, and placed them on the bed. He watched them fall asleep, and before long, he had also fallen asleep.

" Hello?' Tommy whispered into the phone.

"Tommy. Are you still at the farmhouse?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah we are," Tommy said as she got off the bed, and walked down the hall.

"Uhm, I was just calling to tell you that we're making the arrangements today. I'm trying to handle most of it to keep the stress off of Sades. How's Jude and Jazz?"

"They spent all night crying; they went to sleep a couple hours ago."

" Yeah ,Sadie was pretty much the same way. I'm heading over to the funeral home in about an hour. I just wanted to know what Jude wanted done."

"She'll probably want to sing, and Jazz will probably want to play the guitar."

"Okay. Are you heading back?"

"Since you've got the funeral under control, we may just stay here for the day, and come back tonight or tomorrow."

"Okay, just let me know when you're back in town," Jamie said as he hung up. Tommy put his phone away, and turned around to see Jude looking at him from the doorframe.

"Who was that?" Jude asked. Tommy took in her appearance; her eyes were red, puffy, and swollen.

"It was Jamie. He's dealing with all of the arrangements, so you and Sadie won't have to worry about them," he said as he wrapped her in his arms.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay; I just can't believe he's gone. I'm worried about Jazz, though. What's going to happen to her? She has no one, now," she said into his chest.

"She has us," he said quietly.

"Us? We can't raise her, Tommy. We're not parent material. I mean maybe you are, but I'm not!!"

"Shh. We ARE parent material…"

"No we're not! If we were, Preston wouldn't have died," she said as new tears rna down her face. He pushed her away a little, so he could look her in the face. He took her head in between his hands, and said.

"It is NOT your fault he died. He was just too small."

"It's my body that couldn't handle him; I couldn't take care of him."

"The doctors said that wasn't it. They said it was just something random that took our baby. It's nothing you, or I did," he said s he kissed her forehead. It was then that they heard a creak from the door. They looked up to see Jazz standing at the door.

"You have a baby?" she asked quietly.

"We did," Jude said as she sat on the floor with her back against the wall, and motioned for Jazz to sit on her lap, as Tommy sit down beside them.

"What happened to him?"

"He uhm…"

"He passed away sweetheart," Tommy said quietly.

"How old was he?"

"He was six hours old; he was born too early, so his lungs and brain weren't fully developed yet."

"What was his name?"

"Preston James Quincy," Jude said as she wiped a tear away.

"How old would he be now?"

"He would be three," Jude said as more tears fell down her face. Jazz wrapped her arms around Jude, as Tommy wrapped his arms around them.

"Daddy's with him now. Judy, he's safe now."

"So you understand that dad is in heaven?"

"Like Mommy. At least their happy now and we're going to be okay too," Jazz said with a maturity well beyond her years.

"Yeah we are," Jude whispered as they all just sat there.

Two days later, they were at Stuart Harrison's funeral. Jazz was holding Jude's hand, while Tommy was on the other side, doing the same. It had been a rough couple days, but the girls were finally coming to terms with the passing of their father. Sadie stepped down from the podium where she just gave a eulogy. Tommy, Jude, and Jazz made their way to the stage. Tommy went to sit behind the piano, while Jude and Jazz stood in the front of it with their guitars. They started playing a song they had written the day before.

_**Wind blowin' on my face  
Sidewalk flyin' beneath my bike  
A five year-old's first taste  
Of what freedom's really like  
He was runnin' right beside me  
His hand holdin' on the seat  
I took a deep breath and hollered  
As I headed for the street**_

You can let go now, Daddy  
You can let go  
Oh, I think I'm ready  
To do this on my own  
(It's still) (It still feels) a little bit scary  
But I want you to know  
I'll be okay now, Daddy  
You can let go****

_**I was standin' at the altar  
Between the two loves of my life  
To one I've been a daughter  
To one I soon would be a wife  
When the preacher asked,  
'Who gives this woman?'  
Daddy's eyes filled up with tears  
He kept holdin' tightly to my arm  
'Til I whispered in his ear**_

You can let go now, Daddy  
You can let go  
Oh, I think I'm ready  
To do this on my own  
(It's still) (It still feels) a little bit scary_  
__**But I want you to know  
I'll be okay now, Daddy  
You can let go**_

It was killin' me to see  
The strongest man I ever knew  
Wastin' away to nothin'  
In that hospital room  
'You know he's only hangin' on for you'  
That's what the night nurse said  
My voice and heart were breakin'  
As I crawled up in his bed, and said

You can let go now, Daddy  
You can let go  
Your little girl is ready  
To do this on my own  
It's gonna be a little bit scary  
But I want you to know  
I'll be okay now, Daddy  
You can let go  
You can let go

As the music ended, Jude and Jazz wrapped each other in a hug as Tommy led them back to their pew. Jude and Jazz spent the rest of the service holding each other and crying as their father was laid to rest. That night Jude, Tommy, and Jazz went back to Tommy's house because Jude and Jazz couldn't deal with going back to their house. Jazz went down to the recording studio that Tommy had in his basement, while Jude and Tommy sat in the living room.

"Child Services called during the wake," Tommy said quietly as they laid on the couch wrapped in each other's arms.

"They called you?"

"Well they called your phone, but they talked to me. They said Sadie and Jamie had already declined guardianship because of their baby, so that…"

"Leaves me. I'm the only choice, aren't I?"

"Yeah. If we don't take her, she goes into froster care, and I know you don't want that."

"It's not, but how can I be a parent? I'm 24, and I can't take care of an eight-year old. I'd screw her up."

"Jude you won't screw her up, you just have to be her big sister, something you're already great at," he said kissing her on the forehead. Jude sat there for a few minutes thinking about everything, when she realized what he had said.

"You said we?"

"I did, you really think I'm going to leave you? I just got you back."

"Can we do this? Are we _ready_ for this?" she asked quietly, not wanting Jazz to hear the conversation.

"I think we are Jude," he said quietly. Jude laid there for a minute with her head on his chest just listening to his heartbeat; then she spoke up.

"Let's do it, but I want to talk to Jazz first," she said as she sat up, and Tommy pushed her hair behind her ear before she got up, and made her way down the stairs to the recording studio. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the last few notes of Skin being played.

"That song got me through a lot," Jude said as she stood next to the stool her little sister was sitting on.

"What's going to happen to me now? I mean, I know Sades and Jamie can't take me, and I heard you that night at the farm house, you don't want kids."

"You're wrong. When I said those things…I was afraid. I'm afraid that I won't be a good enough mother to you, but I…"

"I don't need a mom, Jude. I just need my big sister and her hot boyfriend." Jude laughed at the last half of her comment.

"So I guess that means you would be okay if you came to live here with me and Tommy."

"Of course I would be," Jazz said as Jude wrapped her in a hug.

"One rule though, Tommy's off limits; plus I think you're a little young for him," Jude said kissing Jazz's forehead before getting up and heading towards the stairs.

"They said that about you too, besides he seems to like Harrison sisters."

Jude just shook her head and walked back up stairs.

A few weeks later, Jude was standing in the middle of the room that would have been Preston's, had he lived long enough. They had decided that this room would be Jazz's, and almost everything had been cleared out and sent to Sadie and Jamie's place for their new baby. Some of the stuff were sent to storage though, since Jude had already been told by Tommy they were going to get married and have kids some day.

SME was coming over the help paint Jazz's room, but one thing had to be removed before they could start. It was a black child sized guitar that was hugn on the wall, and on the body of the guitar were lyrics to a song Tommy had written shortly after learning he was going to be a dad. Jude had it customized for his 27th birthday which had been a month before Preston's birth. Jude had tried to take it down at least ten times, but she couldn't bring herself to doing it.

"Jude?" Tommy asked from the doorway.

"I can't do it. I've been standing here for twenty minutes trying to take it off the wall, and I just…I can't do it. I feel that if we take it off the wall and put it in the attic then we're going to forget him," she said as a tear fell from her eye. She felt Tommy stand where she was.

"I have an idea," he said as he reached up and took the guitar from the wall. He then grabbed Jude's hand and led her down the hall to their room. He sat her down on the bed, and then sat beside her, and began to strum the guitar. He then began to sing the song that was written on it.

Open Arms Creed

When he finished, he stood up, and walked over to the wall in their bedroom that had five guitars hanging on it. Tommy took the middle guitar off its holder, and laid it on the bed; he then picked up the black guitar, and put it on the empty holder.

"This way, he's with us no matter what," Tommy said as he turned to Jude, and she saw the tears in his eyes. She quickly got off the bed, and wrapped him in a hug. They just stood there grieving for the son they had never known. Jude had no clue how long they stood there, but after a while, they pulled away and looked at each other.

"We're going to make it, Jude. This is our time," he said pushing her hair behind her ear before leaning his forehead against hers.

'I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too."

They were broken out of their moment by Jazz yelling something about stopping Spied from painting her room pink.

"We better go save Spied," Jude said taking Tommy's hand, and pulling him out of the room, and towards their family. Their love for a child they never knew broke them apart, but in the end, a child's love brought them back together.


End file.
